Department 13

The elderly gentleman nearly choked on his food and quickly grabbed a napkin to press against his lips. The professor purposely switched the conversation back to German. “I don’t know what you mean, sir. And this is certainly not the place to discuss it,” he ended with a hiss.

“Professor,” the stranger began with a bored tone, although in German to not upset the peace any further. “I asked you to meet me here to discuss your work, specifically the studies regarding extrasensory perception that our Nazi hosts have so graciously allowed you to continue under their strict supervision.” The man finished his glass and smiled at the elderly scientist. “Yes, there is a gentleman by the bar watching you right now to ensure you do not meet with any unsavory freedom cell leaders. Unfortunately, I happen to be one.”

Before the professor could panic, wide eyes looking for an escape, the young man leaned forward, the flippant demeanor gone. “We need you, Professor. I know you have found ways of using the mind to defend and push away the creatures of darkness. I am here to help you escape from under their cruel thumb and join the side of right. You know the Fifth Reich is hell-bent on destroying our world. Come with me now, and help us save it!”

His voice never rose above a conversational tone but the urgency was irrefutable. The Professor looked out the restaurant window and found himself nodding, hope quickening his sad heart for the first time in months. This is not the America he wanted to grow old and die in. Perhaps there was a chance for the human race after all.

They both stood to leave when the front door of the restaurant slammed open. The Professor found himself staring at a half-dozen Nazi troops, all of whom looked dead and rotting. The rebel leader grabbed his arm and pulled him around. “Through the kitchen….”

They fled, and the dead followed.

Department 13, The Setting

Welcome to the sourcebook for Department 13, Avalon Game’s science fiction/horror game. This sourcebook is based on the Infinite Futures game engine, which is Pathfinder compatible, but the source material can be used for any campaigns based in an alternative history where the Nazi regime has succeeded in global domination through arcane magics. Department 13 is set in the late 1950s to early 1960s, but can be readily altered for nearly any era.

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